Mayabunder: Barely hours after an air ambulance crashed in Jharkhand, killing all seven people on board, passengers and crew of a Pawan Hans helicopter – including a few months old child – had a miraculous escape after the aircraft made an emergency landing in the sea in the Andamans on Tuesday morning.
Officials said that the helicopter, travelling from Sri Vijaya Puram (formerly Port Blair) to Mayabunder was forced to make a controlled emergency landing in the middle of the sea at around 9.30 am on Tuesday. Alert rescuers reached the spot within minutes and brought out the five passengers and two pilots.
According to reports, the flight was nearing its destination at the Mayabunder helipad when technical issues forced the pilots to deviate from their path, as reported by Republic TV.
People on the shore described a tense scene as the aircraft descended slowly toward the water, a considerable distance from the coastline. The helicopter appeared to maintain control as it hit the surface. This suggests that the pilots executed a specialised emergency water landing to avoid a disaster.
The controlled descent was instrumental in pr
eventing a tragedy, officials said. An official statement is still awaited on the exact nature of the technical failure.
The Police Marine Force launched a swift operation as soon as the aircraft went down. Visuals from the site showed a marine police boat pulling alongside the semi-submerged helicopter. In a coordinated effort, rescuers evacuated the shaken passengers and crew from the aircraft.
In another photograph, the two pilots are seen being transported to safety in a Police Marine Force fibre boat. They look exhausted but unharmed.
“Around 9:30 a.m. today, a Pawan Hans helicopter experienced a short landing incident near Mayabunder in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The helicopter had taken off from Port Blair with two crew members and five passengers on board. All have been rescued and are safe. No injuries have been reported,” a Pawan Hans spokesperson said.
“All necessary safety protocols were followed, and authorities ensured the well-being of the crew and passengers,” the spokesperson added.
Those on board included three men, a woman, a child, and the two pilots. The rescued passengers have been identified as Rajita Devi and her infant, Kamal Ch Das, Sipra Saha, and Nambi Amma. All of them have been admitted to Dr R P Hospital, Mayabunder, and are under observation and treatment.
Questions have started being raised about maintenance and other issues and a high-level inquiry has been ordered.
The wreck is expected to be salvaged from the sea for a full fledged investigation into the cause of the incident.